Wolfish Hearts

This chapter was very hard to write so I’m sorry if it disappoints

Chapter 3

Harry followed Hermione though the woods, after she had unlatched the gate with her nose, stumbling every few steps and envying Hermione’s easy grace as she leaped over a fallen log which Harry decided to walk around to save himself the embarrassment.

Harry’s mind whirled with everything he had discovered in such a short space of time, his mother was still alive, alive and well and the leader of this pack of wolves.

Hermione had not explained too much to him saying that it was not her place to tell him these things.

“How many wolfs live here?” Harry asked after they had been walking a few minutes, Hermione turned her head to him, her tongue hanging from her mouth.

“About a hundred… maybe just over” Hermione replied, her nose twitching in the air as a rabbit bolted out of a bush ahead of them, Hermione snarled mockingly at it as it bolted down a hole.

“Were they all human once?” Harry asked making Hermione snort.

“Heavens no” she laughed stopping at a group of bushes that Harry remember from the night before.

“There only a handful of us….The rest are just wolfs…I can’t commune with them though telepathy like I can with you and the few others, but they respond to gestures, they are very smart creatures after all…Are master can communicate with them though which makes life easier” Hermione explained.

“Why have we stopped?” Harry asked sitting in front of Hermione with out her help and strangely felt a little twinge of achievement.

“I just need to explain a few more things before we go see master” Hermione said, Harry tilted his head and let his tongue fall from his mouth, Hermione giggled in his head.

“Do you feel the magic in the air?” Hermione asked lifting her nose in the air to indicate sniffing, which Harry copied.

“Yes…I felt it last night while I followed you” Harry replied nodding his head.

“This whole area is protected by magic so no Muggle’s will find the place” Hermione explained, Harry narrowed his eyes.

“You mean like at the world cup…and Hogwarts?” Harry asked.

“Precisely…that is why we ask that you remain inside the magical barrier at all times…unless you have a guild” Hermione ordered her eyes serious, Harry nodded his agreement looking puzzled.

“And this is just the magic of one man?” Harry asked and despite his anger towards him he could not help but feel impressed.

“I told you…he is very powerful” Hermione replied then tilted her head again.

“I must also ask that you…respect him, I know how you must feel about…what he did, but please listen to him” Hermione pleaded, Harry snorted and turned his head away.

“I’m not going to be calling him master if that’s what you’re implying” Harry grumbled keeping his eyes averted from Hermione.

“You are hopeless” Hermione laughed and quickly licked Harry’s muzzle before pushing her way through the bushes leaving Harry to follow.

Harry walked out into the open and found he appreciated the beauty of the lake more in the daylight than he had at night.

Wolfs were everywhere, turning there heads to watch him as he followed Hermione down a slope towards the clearing where the man was sitting upon a tree stump, Hermione reached him and sat down at his side, waiting for Harry to join them.

Harry came to a stop in front of the man and sat down, he felt uneasy as the man stared at him, which is not surprising since the man had stabbed him mere hours ago.

“I see you have adjusted quickly…I am glad” The man said, absently resting his fingers on Hermione’s head and ruffling her fur until she turn and nipped his hand gently with her teeth, the man chuckled as she moved away from him and scowling over her shoulder as she came to sit beside Harry.

“I’m sorry…I forgot you hate that” The man said and even though he spoke the words to Hermione Harry could still him clearly as if he was speaking out loud.

“Try harder to remember next time or I might bite harder” Hermione snarled mockingly her head held proudly.

“I have no doubt about it” The man chuckled as he got to his feet and moved closer to Harry who flinched his head away slightly, the man noticed this and chuckled out loud.

“I understand your unease but you have nothing to fear” the man said making Harry snort at the ground.

“You wouldn’t say that if you had been stabbed last night” Harry grumbled, the man sighed and kneeled down in front of Harry

“You must be bursting with questions” The man said trying to catch Harry’s eyes with his but Harry kept shifting them away, until his eyes landed on Hermione who gave him a stern look, grunting Harry looked the man in the eye’s and nodded.

“I want to know why my mother allegedly asked you to kill me” Harry said finding it hard to keep his eyes locked with the Mans.

“She should be the one to explain that to you” The Man said shaking his head regrettably.

“So what can you tell me then” Harry snapped losing his patience quickly.

“I can tell you what you can expect over the next few months…And what is to be expected of you in the future…” The Man began calmly until Harry exploded into a fit of shouting.

“Future…what future, you stole mine away from me the moment you jammed that knife into me!” Harry screamed baring his teeth menacingly, a growl building up in his chest, until he felt Hermione prod him with her nose sharply, Harry spun on her his teeth still bared.

“What…I want answers and I’m just being led around in circles!” Harry snapped anger he had never known before building rapidly making his blood boil, he took a step towards the man his eyes narrowed with malice.

“Harry!” Hermione shouted baring her teeth also as she drew herself to her fullest height and hunching her shoulders preparing to spring.

Harry took another menacing step towards the man who had rose to his feet and was retreating slowly Harry managed one more step before something solid slammed into his side sending him to the floor, before he could react he yelped as sharp teeth sank into his neck and shook him from side to side.

“Harry calm yourself!” A voice shouted in his head, a voice that seemed familiar, like a distant memory.

“As soon as you relax I will let you go” The voice instructed, Harry was still shaking with rage under his attacker, but after a few minutes they subsided and he snorted into the dirt.

His attacker removed there teeth and moved of him, Harry remained with his face in the dirt for awhile wondering where his anger had come from.

“You will find that in your wolf form your anger is harder to control but you will learn to control it, Hermione has told me how short your temper used to be so its no surprise that you got angry so quickly” The voice said again moving round Harry slowly and coming to stand in front of him.

Harry got to his feet slowly, first his eyes fell on Hermione who still had her shoulders hunched as she stood by the man, protecting him from another possible attack, and then his eyes locked with his attacker and took a step back.

He had known when his attacker spoke that she was female, and now he looked upon one of the most beautiful wolf’s he had ever seen, The wolf was rustic red in colour and her long fur was blowing in the breeze but it was her eyes that struck Harry most, they were a piercing green the same kind that he had been in the mirror everyday.

“Hello Harry” She said her wolfish mouth smiling as best she could, “It’s so good to see you again” she said softly moving forward and licking Harry’s shocked face lovingly.